Happy Weekend (and i'm off!)

Thank goodness it is finally Friday. Is anyone else with me? This week has quite possibly been the most stressful week of the year thus far and I am so happy it's over. If you've noticed a lack of posting lately (it's kind of hard to miss), that would be the reason for it. I have a big event coming up for work that has been taking up lots of time, and along with my internship (which I love), it's been a lot. I miss writing my daily blog posts, not to mention reading my favorite blogs on a regular basis, and I hope I can get back in the swing of things soon!

On the bright side, this crazy week has come to an end and I am off to a attend a wedding in St. Louis! I'll get to spend time with some of my best friends and I am so excited to get away and relax a little. I'm writing from the airport right now (whilst people watching, which is probably one of my favorite activities ever). Plans for the weekend include a rehearsal dinner tonight, the wedding and reception tomorrow, and hopefully something fun on Sunday before I come back to Minneapolis. It should be a lovely time.

I hope you have a wonderful weekend! What are your plans?

image via

Weekend Snapshots

Ah the weekend. These past few days were a very happy mix of relaxation and productivity. With last week and the beginning of the weekend combined, I watched more CNN than I have ever watched in my life. I'm so glad there was finally an end to the crazy, unsettling week in Boston. 

On Saturday I did a little shopping and picked up some new flats, sunglasses, and a pair of shorts for the day (hopefully in the near future) when it is finally warm enough to wear them. On Sunday I woke up early, finished a feature for The Everygirl and headed over to Corepower for my favorite yoga sculpt class.

Now it's Monday and I am preparing for a very very busy week. Along with my 9-5 job, I'll be working Monday and Tuesday nights for my internship, grabbing dinner Wednesday night with a good friend, and getting a haircut and manicure Thursday night before leaving for a wedding in St. Louis on Friday. It should be fun!

I hope you had a wonderful weekend! What's on the agenda for your week?

Meet The Spades

Meet The Spades. Kate and Andy. Have you heard of them? If not, you’ve probably heard of the two mega brands they’ve founded – Kate Spade and Jack Spade. Ahh yes, now it’s ringing a bell. I have such a great love for anything and everything Kate Spade, so when I discovered these beautiful pictures of their home in Southampton, I wasn’t very surprised to find I loved that, too. The bright colors and patterns and eclectic details found throughout the home’s décor remind me of all the things I love about Kate Spade’s clothing, accessories, and handbags. Take a look around and see what you think.

Beautiful, right? If you have a few extra minutes on your hands, feel free to take a peak at a home tour given by Andy himself. Happy Thursday!

images - Matchbook Magazine via StevenSclaroff.com   

Boston

I am absolutely sick over the events that happened at the Boston Marathon yesterday. As I've mentioned before, I've finished three marathons, and at each of these marathons I've had three goals. The first was to finish. The second was to set a personal record. The third was to qualify for Boston. I still haven't completed the final goal, but I have every intention of doing so someday. Why? Because Boston is the Holy Grail for every marathon runner.

The process of training for a marathon is rigorous and time consuming. The process of running a marathon is brutal and rewarding, full of constant ups and downs. But finishing a marathon makes it all worth it. When you cross the finish line, you're so overcome with happiness and inspiration and joy over the fact that you actually did it. For someone to target this incredible moment of euphoria by planting bombs at the finish line of the most respected, honorable marathon in the U.S. shocks and disgusts me. My thoughts and prayers go out to everyone affected by this event. 

Happy Weekend!

The weekend, the weekend! It's finally here. This week, like most of mine lately, was extremely busy. I am either working or doing something productive almost constantly Monday through Friday, and I think that's the same for a lot of people. It's either work, commuting to and from work, working on the blog or The Everygirl, or running / going to yoga. But lately I've been finding that I'm not always very efficient. I'll take "5 minute work breaks" that somehow turn into 30 minute work breaks that then turn into 30 minutes less sleep. This week I definitely improved my level of efficiency a little and it was so nice. I got more sleep and felt (at least somewhat) less stressed than normal. 

This weekend I'm doing some spring cleaning / organizing and I'm really looking forward to it. I'm one of those weird people who loves organizing and purging things. Recently I've been noticing pieces of clothing in my closet that I haven't worn in a year or more. And that's ridiculous. I'm also planning to fit in a bit of work, a workout or two, and some time with friends.

Happy weekend to you! What are your plans for the next few days?

P.S. Oh what I would give to be in the scene in that photo right now. It snowed in Minneapolis all day Wednesday and Thursday and a little bit today. Snow! Even in Minnesota, this is not normal. I need 

a beach. Stat!

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Ten Little Things (that are inspiring me lately)

I see inspiration everywhere. All over the place. On my way to work in the morning, watching TV, talking with my friends and, of course, while reading blogs. For my next ten little things list, I thought I would pick a few of the things (mainly people) that have been inspring me lately.

1. This article: What Extremely Successful People Were Doing At Age 25. Have you read it yet? Sometimes it's just reassuring for me to realize that most people don't have everything figured out in their twenties.

2. One of my best friends. He moved to Chicago recently and got a job at an amazing company there (you may recall that I visited him there this summer. Also the same trip on which I met this lady). He's constantly sending updates on the amazing things he's doing and he is seriously inspiring to me. Not just because I've dreamed of moving to Chicago for years, but because he went ahead and created this new path for himself all on his own. I hope to do that someday in the near future, too.

3. Other friends. One just started medical school and another recently moved out to Los Angeles and is building up her resume as an actress. None of us have it all figured out yet but my friends are some of the most driven people I know and they inspire me all the time.

4. Pinterest. Every day, all day.

5. My editors over at The Everygirl. You're just going to have to get used to me mentioning them. They're pretty awesome.

6. Relatedly, Alaina Kaczmarski's home tour that was posted on TEG last week. I picked up so many ideas that I want to use in my own apartment!

7. Robin Roberts. Wow. I recently watched a special on her journey this past year and it is just incredible how far she's come. She is such an inspiring woman.

8. The two books I'm reading right now: Bossypants by Tina Fey & Grace: A Memoir by Grace Coddington. Two very different women in two very different fields who are both inspiring to me in their own ways. (Allow me to take a moment to pat myself on the back for reading not one, but two books at once. I'm the "I'm too busy, I don't have time to read" girl, so I'm pretty impressed with myself at this recent improvement.)

9. This "Find Your Greatness" commercial from Nike. Maybe it's because I'm a runner, but I just love it.

10. And finally, a quote from Pablo Picasso. "Inspiration exists, but it has to find you working."

Where do you find inspiration?

Transition Pieces

In this awkward in between time between the end of winter and the beginning of spring it can be tough to plan a wardrobe that meets the needs of the season. Although it's starting to warm up in Minneapolis, it's not fully spring yet. In this transition period, an intermediate coat is an absolute necessity. I've retired my winter coat but I still need to wear something. I love the outerwear options at Zara this season. Which of these is your favorite?

classic trench | pop of color

I think (okay, okay. I know) I'm leaning toward the colorful coat on the right. It's so ladylike and classic and the coral color makes it stand out. I've also been seeing it on the pages of Anna Jane's blog lately and can't help but love it there.

What are your favorite winter to spring transition pieces?

Weekend Snapshots

Not many photos to share from this weekend. I did a lot of relaxing on Friday and Saturday and caught up on some work on Sunday. I also finally started reading Grace Coddington's memoir. I'm not that far in yet, but I can't wait to read more about Vogue's now infamous Creative Director. I also caught up on a few favorite shows and spent some quality time with my brother, who I rarely get to see these days. It was lovely.

There was only one slight downfall to this weekend. I have basic cable, which means I don’t have AMC, and therefore I couldn’t watch the Mad Men season premiere last night. I’m hoping I’ll be able to catch up this weekend or next weekend. Do any of you like Mad Men as much as I do?

Hope you have a great start to your week!

Happy Weekend!

I hope that wherever you are it's starting to feel a little like spring. Minneapolis is on the verge of spring but it's really such a tease. As I write this it’s twenty eight degrees outside. Not my favorite number. Regardless, I've retired my winter coat, hoping that will somehow make the season hurry up a little.

On a happy note, yesterday a few of my friends and I bought tickets for a Mumford & Sons concert this June! I'm so excited. Mumford & Sons is one of my favorite bands ever. The concert is in Kansas City so we're making a little weekend trip out of it. I imagine the concert will look a little something like this.

This weekend I have very few set plans, and I am so thankful for that. I hope to spend some good quality time getting work done and a lot of time relaxing. I’m also meeting up with my brother who I rarely get to see before he heads off to California for the summer. 

Happy Friday! What are you up to this weekend?

image via

Lately

Happy Thursday guys! This post was totally meant to go up Monday. I had every intention to put it up Monday. But then I got really really busy and all of a sudden the week was halfway over and there was no blog post. So sorry about that. I am going to try my best to get back on a normal schedule, but for now, please bear with me if you will. That would be just awesome.

Last weekend looked a little something like this.

Despite my busy schedule, this past weekend was pretty lovely overall. I celebrated a friend's birthday, got to see my favorite little cousins, and had a delicious Easter brunch on Sunday. It was lots of fun mixed in with lots of work and very little sleep. So this weekend I'm looking forward to a much better mix of productivity and relaxation. I can't wait.

If you feel so inclined, you can check out the three features I designed for The Everygirl this week. Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday. And even if you don't do that, you should be sure to check out my editor Alaina's home tour which is on The Everygirl today. It's beautiful.

Okay there. My weekly Everygirl plug is done. ;) Hope you're all having a great week so far!